The purpose of this grant is to obtain funding for a Scanco VivaCT 40 microCT scanner. Investigators at Baylor College of Dentistry, Texas A&M Health Science Center, will use this instrument to support NIH funded projects and pilot projects for future grant applications. The projects are a range of investigations including the effects of growth factors on sutural growth in the cranium, the relationship between elastic properties and microstructure in cortical bone, the effects of genetic alteration on craniofacial growth patterns in mice, and studies of fatigue of dental implants. Our studies focus primarily on craniofacial skeletal structures as a model system, and thus, a microCT will be of great benefit for advancing this research. This microCT instrument was selected based on its versatility for both in vivo and ex vivo scanning. Ongoing research projects that will benefit from this instrumentation are: 1. 3D Structural Basis of Material Properties in Craniofacial Cortical Bone 2. Mechanical Effects of Material Property Variation in the Craniofacial Skeleton 3. Craniofacial Growth in Normal and Genetically Altered Mice 4. The Effect of Igf-I Haploinsufficiency on Skeletal Microstructure in Cd-1 Mice 5. Effects of Tgf-_3 on Histomechanics of Rat Cranial Suture Growth 6. Bone Surface Degradation in the TMJ due to Autoimmune Attack 7. Runx2 and Twist-1 during Dental Tissue Development and Homeostasis 8. Twist-1 Deficient Mice Strains Show Phenotypic Changes in Dentition 9. Pax9 X Msx1 Double Heterozygote Mice Show Tooth Agenesis Rescued by Transgenic Bmp Expression 10. Studies of DMP1 Roles in Bond During Development 11. Fatigue of Restorative Ceramics and Fatigue of Dental Implants 12. Regulation of Bone Mass, Quality, and Metabolism by Estrogens 13. Studies of Proteins Involved in Osteogenesis and Dentinogenesis 14. Computational Bone Micromechanics Towards a Multiscale Micro-Damage Based Bone Strength Model In vivo microCT systems have only been available commercially within the past 4 years and no other suitable systems are available in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. We expect the microCT system will promote collaborations within the Texas A&M Health Science Center and with other scientists at nearby institutions. The relevance of the microCT system for betterment of the oral health of the public is significant. The instrument will aid in important research advances for addressing deficiencies in craniofacial growth and development. The system will also be an essential part of the research training of many of our students, so that it provides potential for the development of many new and significant advances in oral and dental health. [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable]